Movable letters for advertising-boards.



PATENTED APR. 28, 1903.

v T. KNOBLIGH. MOVABLE LETTEEs FOR ADVERTISING BOARDS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1902.

To MODEL.

ERREICHT v ENBJJEH W/TNISJES WW UNTTED STATES PATENT @EEICE.

Tl-IEODOR KNOBLIOH, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

I MOVABLE LETTERS FOR ADVERTISING-BOARDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,702, dated April28, 1903.

Application filed January 13, 1902. Serial No. 89,615. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEoDoR KNOBLICH, mechanician, a subject of theGerman Emperor, residing at 43 Pferdemarkt, Hamburg, in the GermanEmpire, have-invented new and useful Improvements in Movable Letters forAd vertising-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to movable letters for advertising purpose, whicheither singly or connected together so as to form words and either in ornot in connection with other im movable letters shall be used foradvertising words, for the purpose to draw the attention of the publicthrough either movement to such advertisements with which they areconnected.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the object of this invention indifierent modes of construction;

Figure 1 shows an elevation of the intended advertisements. Fig. 2 showsthe arrangement for moving the single letters so as to swinghorizontally. Fig. 3 shows the moving arrangement in section. Fig. 4shows the moving of the horizontal letter bearer by means of atooth-wheel and ratchet-levers. Fig. 5 illustrates the vertical movingof the letters by means of a horizontal curve-wheel, and Fig. 6 thehorizontally-swinging movement by means of a cam.

The arrangements shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and in Fig. 6 are for the purposeto give to every single letter a horizontally-swinging motion on itscenter point or fulcrum, respectively. The driving power as shown in thedrawings is a clockwork, but can, and especially in large plants, beformed by a motor of any description or by a line of shafting and fromany source of power.

The letters a are fastened in their center to a pin b,which pivots inthe plate 1p. To each pin is fixed a crank c with a pin 01, which latterpass throughholes or slots of a rod or rail 3. The rod 8 has a pintpassing through the slot g of the lever h. This leverhis part of thepawl-and-ratchet arrangementf. This arrangement f by means of its arms71? is alt-ernately in contact with the teeth of the toothwheel m, whichlatter one is driven so as to turn around by any kind of spring-power Z,so that by the turning of wheel m the lever it gets a swinging motion.In Fig. 6 this swinging movement of the lever is arrived at byprolonging the lever it over its fulcrum n and by providing theprolongation q with a backward motion horizontally, which motion istransmitted to the letters a, which are pivoted in the platep, by meansof the crankpins 11, passing through the holes 0. For this reason everyletter swings to and fro on its pivot 19.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 5 the pins of the letters a are notpivoted in the platep, but are connected directly and rigidly to therail 3. This rail 3 is fixed to a rod '21, guided in the guides 20, andthe bottom end of which has a pin 00, which is guided for the requiredmovement in the curve-slot rof the horizontally-turning curve-disk t insuch a manner that the rod 4;, and in connection with this the rail 3,with the letters a, receives a continuously up-and-down movementcorresponding with the pitch of the curveslot 7". In this constructionthe plate 10 must be provided with a vertical slot for each letter.

The plate 10 can be made of transparent material and illuminated fromthe back at will, and the single letters can consist of or be suppliedwith electrical incandescent lamps. The single letters can be arrangedso as to be removable, so that they can be put on or ofi, as desired,which facilitates the forming of difierent words for the advertisements.This movable advertising arrangement can be made so as to have only one,or it may have more, faces, and in the latter case the letters of allsides can be moved from one driving arrangement.

Having now particularly described this invention and in what manner thesame is to be performed, what I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States, In testimony that I claim the foregoing asmy invention I have signed my name in pres- I0 An advertising devicecomprising a board, ence of two subscribing Witnesses. cranks havingbearings in the board, letters THE D KN BLIOH.

on the cranks, a rail connecting the cranks, i 0 OR 0 a pin extendingfrom the rail, a lever having Witnesses: a slot to receive said pin, andmeans for im- HERMANN BRAHMSTADI, parting swinging motion to the lever.GEORG PINKERT.

